News to get us ‘edge of the seat’ excited and rumors to have us count out the days,

Here is a list of the hottest bikes about to be released.

Yamaha MT15 Ver 2.0:

Yamaha have updated the already impressive MT15 just as they have with a newer R15 V4/R15M. The update that’s easily visible is that in the suspension. The MT15 now gets an upside down fork up front and an aluminum swingarm at the rear.

Another big change is in the engine which now produces a little less power and a little more power, 18.4 hp at 10,000 rpm and 14.1 Nm at 7,500 rpm respectively. This variation, in tuning will make the MT 15 more user friendly from an urban/street riding perspective.

The MT15 however, misses out on the quick shifter which would have spiced up the riding experience even more. There are different color options on offer as well along with a Bluetooth connectivity feature.

KTM RC 390 2022: 

The RC 390 has been without a major update since its introduction with changes to make it compliant with the stricter emission norms. Finally, the 2022 version is updated with some major focus on the handling dynamics and riding experience.

First of all, the intake system gets an update with an airbox that is 40 % larger than before helping the bike breathe a lot better and while the power figure remains the same at 43.5 hp at 9,000 rpm, torque has now increased by 1 Nm to 37 Nm at 7,000 rpm. What this has done is kept the bike on its toes and make it feel even more responsive and urgent. It also gets a newer rear subframe.

The RC has always been a bike that offered a committed riding position but now with the inclusion of adjustable clip-ons, the handlebar can be setup for a slightly more comfortable riding stance. The seats have also been updates to further help with the ride quality. Looking at the suspension, the rear suspension now gets rebound damping adjustability along with preload adjustability, again, aiding with fine tuning the character of the bike to exactly suit the riders needs.

The main theme of the update though seems to be about reducing the unsprung mass and with that come lighter wheels as well as a light weight front disc brake. But at first glance, the thing one notices is the new front end design where the twin projector headlamp giving way a single led unit plus the side indicators and DRLs integrated with the cowl. Judging by the new RC 200,the changes as KTM say, is more functional the bike will look and more importantly, feel a lot better in flesh than on the photos.

Royal Enfield Scram:

The Royal Enfield Scram is as it name suggests, a scrambler like rendition of the Royal Enfield Himalayan rather than an all new bike in a sense that, the engine, the powertrain, the suspension and the chassis are largely, the same.

The difference is that the wheel sizes have gone down to a 19 inch at the front and 17 inch at the rear, reducing the ground clearance by 20 mm. Also, minor changes to the suspension’s damping and tuning have stiffened it a bit. The scram also gets an engine that has been remapped, and it should feel smoother than the Himalayan.

The windscreen is now gone and the small cowl on the tank gives it a more barebone look. Also, the bike is lighter than the Himalayan. All of these differences makes the Scram even more suited to urban riding without taking much away from the adventure/touring abilities. The bike does look really cool and hip with the new paint scheme and design elements.

BMW G 310 RR:

BMW have teased a super sports version of their already impressive naked G 310 R and the adventure tourer G 310 GS. And from the photos teases, it is very likely that the bike will benefit by the Apache RR 310 BTO that TVS offer, given BMW and TVS’s association.

The engine is likely to remain the same as with the other 310s however, to appeal to a bigger international market, BMW should be providing the 310 RR with fully adjustable suspension front and rear, which is not common in this segment. The design might also get some updates to make it feel more premium.

A new dash with updated graphics, traction control along with ridding modes and the inclusion of adjustable levers all are bound to be part of the new 310 RR. Further riding aids like an IMU based cornering ABS and quick shifter are equipment’s BMW should be including on it. BMW might also improve on the fit and finish and the overall quality for a premium feel. All of these will be answered soon when the bike is officially launched on July.

Royal Enfield Himalayan:

The Himalayan was first introduced in 2016 and was one of the first proper adventure bikes in the market. Fast forward to 2022 and the bike is without any significant mechanical updates.

The bike is powered by a 411cc single producing 24.3 PS of peak power at 6500 rpm and 32 Nm of peak torque at 4000 rpm.

The engine has also got a fairly low rev limiter. Which means that there is good amount of torque early on but not much in the top end. Refinement is not the greatest and the amount of vibrations from the engine is absurd given in this day and age.

The Himalayan does get a suspension setup that’s soft and absorbs most of the irregularities of the road and provided good ride quality but since the bike weighs a hefty 199 kg, good handling is probably not what the bike is about. The Himalayan with its upright seating and windscreen allows for comfortable touring.

The ground clearance of the Himalayan is 220 Nm which is handy and the bike is capable of handling slight bit of off-roading but that’s about it. Anything more adventurous and the bikes starts bottoming out it’s suspension and it’s own weight compromising it’s maneuverability. There are rumors of a newer version for the year 2022 and the Himalayan can definitely do with some much needed upgrades.